


I Don't Care What's in Your Hair

by jurassic_peej



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: ADHD Josh, Alternate Universe - High School, Anxiety Disorder, Awkward Sexual Situations, Battle of the Bands, Gender Dysphoria, M/M, transgender AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-26 07:51:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4996597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jurassic_peej/pseuds/jurassic_peej
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School AU set in their junior year where Joshua Dun is the new kid that Tyler Joseph can't keep from staring at. Josh is cute and Tyler is bleh. Tyler's transgender and can't even give a presentation without choking. When Josh asks him to be a part of his band and compete in the battle of bands at their school's festival, Tyler wants to say no but Josh is cute. So he says yes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Don't Care What's in Your Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler and Josh meet. Bits of music class. Mentions of festivals. Jenna's got a cameo role. It's cute, trust me. It's all one bit ball of angst-y cuteness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify some things: Tyler looks as he did when he was in high school. No tattoos, short hair, and relatively scrawny. The only difference is he's got small a-cup breasts (which are easily covered with a sports bra one size smaller than usual) and undefined hips (as in: they're there but they aren't too noticeable and can be hidden with the right clothing). Josh looks as he did in high school too. No tattoos or piercings and less muscular. He still has defined arms and legs but his tummy is soft and he's less bulky.
> 
> Also if you are triggered by anxiety/panic attacks, ADHD issues, homophobia, transgender mentionings or gender dysphoria I advice you do not read this story. Remember to keep yourself safe and don't feel weak if you triggered by any of these things :))

               Tyler Joseph is a boy. At least he knows he is but physically he figures that when God had created him He'd pressed the wrong button. Or maybe this was part of the vocational path his youth minister always talked about. Tyler didn't particularly enjoy the idea of his calling, purpose, meaning -whatever you want to call it- being transgender; as if that's the most important part of him. Tyler, in fact, spends the majority of his time wishing God hadn't of pushed the wrong button in the first place. It would have saved both of them a lot of trouble.

               Josh Dun, on the other hand, is adorable to say in the least. Tyler's gaze is fixed on the boy's fluffy pink hair as he enters the classroom. A pink that looks not so different from Josh's hair creeps all the way up to Tyler's ears when Tyler realizes the only empty seat in the room is in front of him.

               "Hi, I'm Josh." pink boy (or that's what Tyler had mentally called him as he watched him walk over earlier _'No, no, no pink boy do NOT come over. Ohmygosh pink boy's coming over. Why, why, why'_ ) greets, sticking out a hand to shake.

               Josh is dressed in the prettiest floral button up Tyler has ever seen and he momentarily thinks about complementing it before quickly deciding not too.

               "I'm Tyler." he replies, mentally cringing at how high his voice sounds "We're matching." he involuntarily says.

               Josh knits his brows and frowns.

               Tyler grimaces and shuts his eyes "I mean, we're both wearing floral."

              _Social skills A+, wow good job._

               Josh glances down at Tyler's long floral kimono and blushes.

                _Is he blushing? What, why._

               Tyler realizes he must have been zoned out while staring at the red tint in Josh's cheeks because next thing he knows the whole room is focused on him.

               "Madison Joseph?" the teacher calls out again, looking at the boy everyone seems intent to look at.

               "Uhm..." Tyler begins, clearing his throat as his face heats up "It's actually Tyler, ma'am."

               One reason to hate being transgender while in school.

               A look of understanding settles in the woman's eyes as she gently smiles "Of course. The office shouldn't be keeping incorrect names on file. I'll have a word with them today to get that fixed."

               Even though Tyler knows fully that the office can't do anything since 'Madison' is his birth name and, until he can change it, legally it needs to remain the same, he smiles at the teacher's acceptance.

               "Joshua Dun?" she resumes role call.

               Tyler keeps his gaze on the table as Josh -and the rest of the class- call out 'here' one by one. If Josh hadn't of noticed Tyler was transgender before it sure was known now. _What if he thinks I'm disgusting? What if he doesn't want to talk to me anymore?_ Tyler feels a hitch in his breathing as his heart rate speeds up. Shutting his eyes, he clenches his fist and begins counting down from ten.

               "Dude, are you okay?"

               Tyler opens his eyes and sees Josh looking at him with a worried look "Oh, uh, yeah, I'm fine just...gastric pains." _Did I just say that. What does that even mean? Gastric pains? Oh my gosh and now he's looking at me like that._

               The small squint-y smile on Josh's face is more than Tyler thinks he can handle.

               "You're pretty funny y'know." Josh says, absently twiddling his thumbs.

               Tyler forces his gaze away from Josh's abnormally large hands "That's a first."

               Josh raises his eyebrows "Really?"

               "Hmm, let me think: fag, freak, dyke but, no, never funny." he replies with a laugh.

               "Oh."

               Tyler stops laughing when he sees Josh's expression and drops his face into his palm "Oh my gosh that sounded way more self-pitying than I meant." he looks at Josh from between his fingers "It was supposed to be funny." he says meekly.

               Josh bites his lip and looks away with a blush "It's okay." he says through a grin.

               Tyler feels his heart swell and realizes he really hates Josh but kind of like how a little boy hates his mom when he realizes they aren't going to get married. Essentially, Josh is really cute and Tyler likes cute things. Especially when they're 5'7" blushing boys with pink hair and floral shirts. 

|-/

               "So do they really call you those things?" Josh asks once he's caught up with Tyler at the lunch line.

               Tyler's heart leaps "Jeez, you scared me." he smiles as Josh giggles "So what, no hi?" he asks jokingly.

               Josh looks at him and playfully rolls his eyes " _Hello_ dear friend of mine. There. So do they?"

               Tyler sighs "No, not really anymore." he pulls a carefully wrapped burger off the metal stand "It stopped probably halfway through freshman year. After I'd been kicked off the girl's basketball team and everyone got used to me going to the boy's bathroom."

               Josh stuffs the two fries pinched between his fingers into his mouth as they continue through the line "Well that's good."

               Tyler looks at him.

               "I mean not that you got kicked off the team and bullied." he says quickly "Just that, y'know, it's over. The worst is passed." he says, choosing his words carefully.

               "Yeah, I guess." Tyler relents.

               "So, could I sit with you and your group of friends at lunch today?" Josh asks, playing with his thumbs again. Tyler figures it must be some kind of nervous tick.

               Tyler is caught off guard by the question "It'll just be me you're sitting with. I hope you don't mind." he says, feeling that stupid blush climb its way back up his neck.

               "That sounds perfect." Josh says sounding quite relieved "I'm not the best around big groups of people."

               Tyler can't help but think Josh would be the perfect people person but he obviously doesn't know enough about the boy to make any judgments.

               "So," Josh continues once they've payed for their meals "do you just choose not to sit with anyone?"

               Tyler sarcastically smiles "C'mon Josh, it's okay. We both know I don't have any friends here. You don't have to pretend like I do."

               Josh frowns "I was serious."

               The sincerity in his tone forces Tyler to stop walking "Oh." he says more out of shock than anything else "Well, yeah no, I don't have any friends to sit with." he picks up walking toward a table

               "But you do have friends, right?" Josh asks once they've sat down at a table near the door.

               "Yeah." Tyler replies as he unwraps his burger "Her name's Jenna, she was my best friend before the whole transition thing and she's still my best friend now. She just has a different lunch period. But, yeah, she's it."

               Josh watches Tyler take a bite of his burger "But I thought you said the bullying stopped?"

               Tyler swallows and smiles "People stopped bullying me that doesn't mean I get to be their friend."

|-/

               "It's the third week of school and Josh has barley talked to me." Tyler whines as he paints Jenna's nails a pumpkin orange color.

               Jenna tilts her head "I thought you guys had lunch together."

               Tyler shrugs "He came from a public school so he's been having to take these extra classes at lunch to help him catch up to what we're learning now."

               In their town the only high school is Bedford Christian High School, a small private school that falls into the 10% of private schools where uniforms, weird scheduling, and wealth is non-existent.

               "Oh" she frowns "What about in class."

               "The only classes we have together are homeroom and music. And in music the teacher separates us by our voices so obviously I'm the highest pitched singer there while Josh has literally like the deepest voice ever." Tyler sighs. He's been on testosterone ever since he came out to his family and, while it has made a difference, he's still got a higher voice than most guys. It upsets him frequently. " _And_  since homeroom only meets once a week that's the only time we've talked."

               Jenna inspects her nails "And he hasn't like talked to you in the halls or anything?"

               "Nope." Tyler clicks his tongue "Well, I mean we don't really have classes near each other so I haven't really seen him."

               Jenna smiles "You should write him a love song." she says promptly followed by an echoing laugh.

               Tyler blushes and shoves her (careful not to mess up the masterpiece he painted on her nails) "Whatever, he doesn't even know I do stuff like that." he says, laughing and pulling his legs up to his chin.

               Tyler Joseph really likes music. Almost as much as he likes writing it. He plays piano, ukulele, and sings too. Of course Jenna's the only one who knows. Even in music class when they're supposed to sing he's doubtful anyone's ever been able to hear his wide mouthed whispering. His anxiety has forced him to keep his hobby a secret.

               Jenna smiles "Well think about it at least." when he doesn't reply she sighs "Alright then. Your turn." she says, picking out a pale yellow colored nail polish.

               Tyler perks up and lays his hands out flat "So what do you think I should do." Jenna opens her mouth to reply but he cuts her off " _Besides_ write him a song."

               Jenna rolls her eyes as she begins applying the polish "Maybe you could like smile at him?" she says more as a question than as advice.

               "Really? That's weak." Tyler mumbles with a snort.

               "Your mom's weak."

               "Good one Jenna." Tyler replies sarcastically.

               Jenna and Tyler have this thing where 'your mom' jokes are the best response when you don't know what to say.

               "Seriously though," Jenna says, her focus on her brush strokes "you should try to talk to him before music class. Like during the passing period."

               "Yeah, you're right. As usual." he replies, pulling his hands away to inspect his nails.

               Tyler hopes their beauty will inspire him to actually go through with this 'talking plan'.

|-/

               It has been a month now since school has started and Tyler has grown out of the love sick puppy phase. Yeah, he still has an itty-bitty crush on Josh (who has already dyed his hair a bright red) but the boy doesn't dominate his thoughts constantly anymore. He also took Jenna's advice and decided to talk to Josh. Turns out Josh was just as nervous as Tyler.

                _"Dude, I thought you were ignoring me, I was too scared to talk to you." Josh said with his squint-y smile._

_"Dude, no way. Me too." Tyler replies, mimicking Josh's accent._

_"Dude."_

_"Dude."_

                Now it's just another regular music class. The students file in and Tyler and Josh reluctantly depart to their seats at polar opposites of the room. Tyler still can't believe it would so happen to turn out that Josh actually _is_ the deepest singer in the class and Tyler is the _highest_ so they are sitting as far apart as the room allows.

               The music teacher claps his hands together as he usually does to get everyone's attention "Alright class, listen up. We're doing something new this year that I am very excited for. In March we're having a music festival right here on school grounds." he puts his hands out to quiet the class, expecting the kids to get loud with excitement but, as it turns out, nobody seems to really care. He frowns momentarily before clearing his throat and continuing "During the festival there will be a competition between the students. An old fashioned battle of the bands." he says with a smile "And, to help possibly _inspire_ you to enter, I've come up with an assignment. In groups of two I want everyone to compose a song consisting of at least two instruments and, yes, vocal chords do count." at the mentioning of an assignment several people groan. Tyler, on the other hand, can barley breath.

                _Perform? In front of people?_ Granted his class is quite small, just about a dozen boys but, still, a dozen can feel like twelve hundred sometimes.

               "I will be assigning groups based on your pitch so you won't be matched with someone who sounds too similar to you. We wouldn't want a monotone performance now." he says with a smile "Joshua Dun, you'll be with Tyler. That seems like the easiest match." he says gesturing to the opposite sides of the room.

               Tyler's face must have been stricken pale because, once Josh has managed his way over, he looks concerned.

               "You okay?" he asks.

               Tyler doesn't actually know. The prospect of playing music in front of Josh both terrifies and excites him.

               Tyler shrugs "Just a little nervous." he opts.

               Josh smiles "Don't be, we're gonna rock."

|-/

               "Are you sure your parents are okay with this?" Tyler asks, readjusting the keyboard tucked under his arm.

               Josh had immediately invited him over that afternoon to work on the music project when he learned Tyler could play instruments. Tyler figures they look kind of weird, walking through the neighborhood with a piano and ukulele in hand. Josh had insisted on holding the ukulele for him so at least it's a bit more balanced looking than just one skinny boy lugging around stuff.

               "Yeah, they like the idea of me having talented friends." he says, smiling and strumming Tyler's ukulele. He's not really playing any chords, just...hitting the strings. It makes Tyler laugh.

               "Sorry." Tyler unapologetically says when Josh gives him a look "It's just funny."

               'What? Me shredding it on ukulele?" he says with a laugh, continuing to drag his fingers across the little instrument. He quickens his 'playing' to make a point.

               "Ah, you're killing my ears, man." Tyler replies jokingly.

               "Like you could do better."

               "I can." Tyler says pointedly, knowing full and well what Josh is trying to do.

               Josh stops and sticks the ukulele out "Prove it."

               Tyler stops too and stares at it a moment. Both are smiling and in that moment Tyler trusts Josh. Tyler sticks out his keyboard making Josh's smile grow.

               "Okay." he says, switching instruments with Josh.

               Tyler positions the ukulele and glances up once more before playing a mini riff followed by a couple of chords.

               It's about five seconds long but that's enough to make Josh blush in awe "Oh my gosh, did you write that?"

               Tyler nods and feels his face heat up "Yeah."

               "Wait," Josh says playing with his thumbs "are there lyrics to go with it?"

               Tyler pauses a moment before rolling his eyes sheepishly "Yeah."

               Josh bounces with excitement "Oh my gosh, please sing."

               In any other circumstance he would have said no but it's Josh and Josh is cute and nice. Josh is an exception.

               "Okay." Tyler says giddily.

               He begins strumming the same riff and chord as before " _We don't believe believe what's on TV, because it's what we want to see, and what we want, we know we can't believe, we have all learned to kill our dreams. I need to know, that when I fail you'll still be here, cause if you stick around I'll sing you pretty sounds, and we'll make money selling your hair. I don't care what in your hair, I just want to know what's on your mind, I used to say 'I want to die before I'm old' but because of you I might think twice._ " he ends with a soft strum of the rift and a final chord.

               Through the song, Tyler's gaze had been on his ukulele so, when he looks up and sees Josh not smiling, he's taken aback.

               "Was I alright?" he asks nervously.

               "Alright? Dude, that was amazing." Josh whispers in awe, a grin turning up the corners of his mouth.

               Tyler's tension is released and he smiles "Really?"

               "Yeah. Oh man are we gonna rock."

|-/

               "Okay so what do you think of this." Tyler swivels away from his piano towards Josh. They had been sitting in Josh's room for about an hour and so far all they had decided was for Tyler to sing and play piano while Josh played drums. Originally Josh wanted Tyler to just sing but Tyler felt more comfortable behind an instrument and Josh understood that feeling.

               Josh silences his crash symbol and leans forward "What'chu got?"

               Tyler holds out the paper in front of him and reads the words "Think things on the brink of blasphemy. Think things are after me, my catastrophe."

               Josh nods "Okay and how're you planning on singing that?"

               Tyler shrugs "I was thinking more that I could maybe rap it?"

               Josh sits up "You can rap?"

               "Kind of, I mean I usually have to rap somewhere in my songs otherwise they'd be like seven minutes long."

               Josh hits his snare "I can dig it." he taps his hi-hat thoughtfully then smiles "Yeah rapping would sound pretty cool with a drum beat."

               Tyler smiles "Sweet." before turning around back toward the piano.

               Tyler stares down at the keys and smiles like an idiot at the squeeze in his chest. The oh-so familiar squeeze he gets when he's around Josh. Then he feels it. You know when you're watching some apocalypse movie and the flooding happens or you watch a bucket of water get dumped on the coaches head at a game? It felt something like that. Tyler had started his period.

               "Um." Tyler intelligently says, suddenly standing up "Do you have a bathroom?"

               Josh looks up and can tell something is off but doesn't say anything, much to Tyler's luck "Yeah, down the hall to the right."

               Tyler smiles awkwardly and turns to rush to the bathroom. Once he's out of Josh's sight, he practically darts through the hallway. Once he is safely locked in the bathroom, he begins shuffling through cabinets hoping to stumble across a pad or tampon. He feels weird about using Josh's mother's things but that doesn't stop him from hoping she uses this bathroom. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case. Tyler lets out a frustrated sigh and sits down on the toilet. Doing the only thing he knows to do, he stuffs folded toilet paper inside of his boxers in the hopes that his skinny jeans will keep it in place. Then he ties the grey sweater he'd been wearing around his waist. Looking at himself in the mirror and once more sighing, he steps back into the hallway. As he re enters the room he becomes acutely aware that he didn't flush so he prays that Josh isn't paying attention.

               "Hey." Tyler says, standing by the doorway.

               Josh looks up from his snare drum tuning and smiles "Hey."

               Tyler sits down and watches Josh test the drum, twisting the side knobs every other tap.

               "So what got you into drumming?"

               When Tyler learned Josh could play drums he wasn't in the least bit shocked. Josh seems like he could keep a rhythm.

               "Well," Josh begins, abandoning his tuning "When I was around five or six I was diagnosed with ADHD. Ritalin wasn't working and my parents didn't know how to calm me down. So they tried to find the most physically exhausting thing out there besides sports." Tyler's eyebrows curl in confusion, Josh shrugs "I don't know they thought sports would turn me into a dunce or something." to which they both laugh "So yeah, they found a cheap drum set at some garage sale and thought it'd be a good idea. They kind of regret it now. They say I spend too much time playing and that it's too loud but whatever." Josh shrugs and fumbles with his sticks.

                _ADHD? Well that partly explains the thumb thing._

               "So how's the ADHD now?" Tyler asks cautiously, afraid to offend Josh.

               Josh shrugs "Not as bad. I don't get as hyper as I used to but I still have to get tutoring for almost every class. Drumming helps a lot though." he smiles a sad smile "I can just beat away all my frustrations." he adds a tap on the snare for emphasis.

               Tyler and Josh exchange sympathetic smiles before Josh returns to staring at his sticks.

               Tyler opens his mouth to say something when a door closing cuts him off.

               "Josh! I'm home!"

               Josh's head jerks up.

               "Crap." he says, jumping up and grabbing Tyler's arm "Crap, crap, crap, crap." he continues to 'crap' as he drags Tyler to his closet.

               "What's up?" Tyler asks, awkwardly trying to keep up with Josh's dragging.

               "I lied when I said you were allowed to come over." he says, quickly throwing open his closet door "Get in."

               "Can't you just explain why I'm here?" Tyler asks, backing up into the closet.

               "They can't know I have a boy over. Oh man, I'd be screwed if they found you up here. Stay quiet, please." the squeak in Josh's voice and the pleading look in his eyes would be enough to convince anyone.

               Tyler quickly nods. Josh smiles briefly before shutting the door. A second later the closet is opened again with Josh quickly shoving the keyboard and ukulele in before throwing it closed.    

               "Mom!" he hears Josh call.

               His bedroom door opens "What're you up to sweetie?"

               "Just practicing."

               Tyler hears a _tsk_ "If you spent half as much time studying as you do hitting those drums you'd be accepted into Harvard." her voice isn't mean but it isn't encouraging either.

               "You're probably right." he hears Josh reply, there's a sad tone in his voice that makes Tyler's throat knot up.

               "Alright, well, your father will be home soon. I'm making chicken pot pie tonight."

               "Okay, I'll be down later."

               With that the door shuts and he hears Josh shuffle his way over to the closet.

               There's a look of guilt on his face "I'm sorry, man."

               Tyler steps out "Why?"

               "I can't get you home. The only way out of the house from my room is through this window." he says gesturing to a small window that is probably big enough for one person "It drops twenty feet." Tyler clicks his tongue "The only other option is the front door. But my mom, I swear she has enhanced hearing or something. I one time went outside to pet a cat after she'd gone to bed and got cornered and grounded by her. I have no idea how she heard me but if she found me sneaking you out she'd probably pull me out of school." he runs his hand through his hair and sits down on his bed.

               "Why would your parents freak out about me being over?" Tyler asks, hovering near the closet in case Josh's mother decided to visit.

               Josh stares at the ground as if contemplating whether or not he should share the story.

               He sighs "When I was eleven I invited this boy named Jackson over. At the time I had a really big crush on him and I'd heard he was into boys too so I thought if I invited him over, I don't know," he shrugs "I thought something would happen. I was right, we kissed but my mom saw us and freaked. Kicked him out and forbid me from inviting boys over ever again. It's partially why she moved us out here. She thought if she could bring me back to my religious roots I would be able to make better decisions." Josh runs a hand through his hair and rubs his face.

               Tyler stares at Josh, speechless. He's half filled with pity and half filled with excitement. Half pity because he can't imagine what it's like to not be accepted by your family and half excitement because Josh is into boys. Josh is gay. Or at least a bit gay. Which means Tyler might have a chance with him. 

               Tyler walks over and sits next to Josh.

               After a moment of defined quiet, he says "I could just stay the night." into the silence.

               Josh looks up and a smile slowly spreads across his face "That could work."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you found this chapter too long I suggest you click away now because this should be the normal length they are published at. I will also be posting every four days or so depending on my homework load. I should have, at the latest, a chapter posted each week.
> 
> Stay Alive :)) |-/ (and drink more water)


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